Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-08-11

besides, it's strictly against our orders,
sir, to take any risk by making free
with the dangerous animals. There
was keeper who had charge of the
reptiles, and he got into foolish way
of handling the snakes. He thought
he'd tanned one of the cobras, and used
to put it inside the bosom of his shirt.
Well, sir, one afternoon that cobra
brought his head out underneath the
mans collar and bit him in the neck.
Every thing was done for him, but he
died in few hours
"But occasionally she animals grow
very docile and affectionate, especially
when they are born and bred in the
gardens, do they not3" we inquired.
"Some do, like the seals and the sea-
lions-they are as affectionate and as
intelligent as dogs; but Others, such as
the lion, the tiger, the bear and the
wolf, can never be depended on.
"When they are born in the gardens,
it isn't as you'd suppose; they are
more ferocious then than when they
were brought from India, Africa or
America. The sea-voyage, and the
way they are treated in being brought
here, and the change of climate, take
the stamina out of mature animal.
But, suppose an animal is reared here
say a lion cub. Why, he always has
plenty of room and plenty of good
food, and if he is ruf1ied he shows a
good deal more temper than the for
eigner. When we have to move them
from one cage to another, the lion and
tiger cubs give us more trouble than
any of the rest" the keeper
added. "They will bite at the bars
and at every thing within reach until
their teeth bleed.
"But the liveliest time we have with
them is when their claws want pairing.
You see, sir, that the exercise the
lions and tigers get in their native
forests keeps their claws proper
length, but it often happens that in
captivity the claws grow unusually
long, as you may have seen a acanary's,
and turn in on the pad of the foot,
making an ugly wound. Wouldn't
care about trimming the nails of a
Bengal tiger, now, would you, sirP
Well, it is bit ticklish, and no mis-
take. The first thing we do is to get
the animal out of the large cage into a
small one, where he has no room to
move, and this is not easy. But when
he's in there he hasn't much chance to
struggle, and we get hold of the sore
paw with sort of slip-noose and pull
it out underneath the bars of the cage.
1t usually takes three or four of us to
hold on to it, and when we've dragged
it as far as it'll come another keeper
comes along with a pair of nippers
and nips off the in-growing nail. Owl,
sirp do you ask me if he owls, sirP
He owls and roars both. It's like one
of them tornadoes that you have in
America, sir.
Something similar has to be done
when, as sometimes happens, a bone
or piece of meat becomes lodged in
the jaws of an animal so that it can
be neither swallowed nor elected.
Then, again, the animal is forced into
contracted quarters and the obstruc-
ton is removed with prong. I've
seen jackal with a piece of gristle
and bone jammed in between his teeth
so that he couldn't shut his mouth"
said the keeper, land all the while his
mate has been snarling around him
wanting to get hold of it. The poor
beggar would have let her have il
soon enough if he could only have got
it out.
"The visitors sometimes give you
more trouble than the animalsp" we
inquired.
"Aye, that they do, sir, and sailors
in particular. They get a drop toe
much in them and then there's nothing
they won't do. What do you suppose
happened the other dayP A fellow le
his hat fall into the pit, and ther
climbed over the railing and wen
down after it. When / came along
there he was in the bottom of the pit
dancing around with the bear, whicl
was standing on his launches and haC
his paws on the mans shoulders.
managed to get him out with only ;
torn coat, but he wasn't bit thankful
He said he had eaten more bears thar
l had ever seen. Perhaps he was al
American, sir. y"
The keeper. who had been yer.
placid, suddenly became excited, ant
pointed in the direction of the bear-pi
of which he had been speaking. "Jus
look therer'
The pit is a stone well, about twenty
five feet deep and fifteen feet in diane
ter, with a pole in the middle for tn
bears to climb, and an iron railin:
around the top to keep the spectator
from tumbling in. When the keepe
pointed to it, the bear was on the tol
of the pole, and a man standing on tn
edge inside the railing was leanin:
across the pit with bun in his mouth
which he wanted the bear to take on
with his paw! The man was trying t
reach the bear, and the bear was try
ing to reach the man, but neither coul,
succeed. Instead of approaching thi
foolhardy person angrily. and peremr
torily ordering him out, the keeper
after the momentary excitement of tn
discovery, became as calm as ever, an
went up to the railing as ifnothing ou
of the common were happening; s
quietly, indeed, that neither the ad
venturer nor the spectators observe
} him. 81 wouldn't do that, SIR" h
said to the man, persuasiyely. "lt'
against the rules; that is"
The silly fellow looked up when b
heard this gentle remonstranee, and 8